


take a chance

by henlo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Galra Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Keith friendship kills me, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, klance, side Matt/Shiro
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-16
Updated: 2016-07-16
Packaged: 2018-07-24 07:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7500042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/henlo/pseuds/henlo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keith presses his forehead against the cold glass of the window and closes his eyes. All he can picture is that cheeky grin, ocean-blue eyes, soft brunette hair. All he can picture is wide, horrified eyes, stuttered apologies, the sound of footsteps retreating.<br/>His fist smacks solidly against the glass. He was going to get Lance back. That’s all there was to it.</p><p>In which Lance is captured by the enemy and Keith discovers a couple of things about himself along the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	take a chance

_Lance reaches out to adjust the camera angle, rotating his helmet a little bit to the left. He looks funny up close, slightly distorted with half of his nose and mouth leaning into the lens. Then he shifts back, blinking a couple of times before falling into an easy, dimpled smile. “Okay, this should work now, I hope. It’s kinda strange talking to my helmet, not gonna lie. But I guess since we’re all doing it I’m not the only one feeling weird about it.”_

_He briefly stops talking to run a hand through his hair, leaning back in his chair with a sigh. He’s tired, it’s easy to tell. There are moments when he slouches in those ridiculous blue pajama robes, moments when he looks a lot older than he is._

_“Apparently Altean research shows that humans perform at their best mental capacity when they’re diverting negative feelings into a healthy outlet. And if it sounded like I just read off of the back of a cereal box or something, well…you’re basically right,” Lance snorts a little. “Coran gave us this whole spiel with some holographic charts or whatever. The only ones who looked even vaguely interested were Pidge and Shiro, but I’m pretty sure Pidge was just checking out the sweet technology. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m all for getting rid of bad vibes, but…you know, it’s just sorta lame sitting here by myself talking. Maybe I still need to get used to this system. We’ll see.”_

_He sits silently for a moment, expression contemplative. Then he shrugs and reaches out towards the camera to end the feed._

* * *

The heat feels like it might start blistering his skin soon, but Keith just grits his teeth defiantly and keeps his feet planted on firmly on the ground. It’ll take a lot more than a little warmth to convince him to move. Not when they’re so close, not when it’s all right there..

“Keith, I hate to say this, but you should really consider getting out. Like, _now._ The whole place is about to go total meltdown shitstorm and you don’t want to get fried when that happens.” Hunk’s voice is an urgent shout into his ear. Keith can tell he’s strained from having to hold back enemy ships. Still, he keeps his shoes rooted to the floor, cursing under his breath as he watches the loading bar. It only reads it’s at 60%. He wants to punch the panel a few times to get it to work faster, to speed up the damn process.

But he can’t. And he won’t.

He can only stand and wait even as the ship collapses around him.

Again, his comm crackles impatiently. This time it’s a different voice. “Keith, I’m not messing around, you need to get back to your lion. My scans are telling me you have literally thirty seconds, just take the information you’ve got, there’s no time!” Pidge’s voice is rapidly rising in pitch.

Keith hates this. He’s not done, he’s aborting the mission too early. Rage, stress, frustration, hurt, all of those feelings bubble up in his chest. “Dammit,” he growls, yanking out the drive he had plugged in. The loading bar abruptly stops, the screen blinking an error message.

“Fuck you,” Keith viciously says. Then he throws in a punch for good measure, his fist easily shattering the screen into a million jagged pieces. His gloved knuckles sting painfully as he turns on his heel and sprints out of the room. But it’s minuscule compared to the red that’s clouding his vision. Another mission, failed.

Red opens its jaws to let Keith in, the red paladin barely to his chair before the entire Galra ship implodes. He barely gets his lion out in time, pivoting away just before there’s an outward blast of fiery destruction. He joins the other lions - yellow, green, black - as they take off back towards the castle. “You did the best that you could,” Shiro’s voice is firm, radiating calmness through the lion’s comm system. Keith can’t bring himself to say anything, unable to swallow the lump in his throat.

No. If he had done the best that he could, maybe they wouldn’t be in this situation.

Maybe they wouldn’t have lost Lance.

* * *

" _Okay, so today I found out something officially awesome? Apparently back on Earth it’s now the month of October, and we all know what that means. HALLOWEEN, MUAHAHA!” Lance bares his teeth at his helmet’s camera, doing an awful impersonation of who-knows-what kind of monster. “Halloween is totally my jam, in case you didn’t know. I only have like ten siblings back home who need to get scared out of their pants at least once a year.”_

_His face dims a bit for a moment. “I guess somebody back home will have to temporarily borrow my title of resident professional prankster. But just this one time only, no worries. Anyway,” a smile crosses his face again. “I’ve already been planning out all kinds of great pranks. It’s gonna be sicker than the haunted castle thing that went down before, ya know? The one where Sendak was behind it but we still aren’t sure if the ship isn’t actually still haunted?” He takes a deep breath and laughs._

_“Okay, I admit it, I was kind of terrified of the haunted castle thing. But can you really blame me? My abuelita taught me enough good sense to avoid evil spirits, I’m not like white people in horror movies. Besides, Keith was literally so scared too, you should’ve seen his face!”_

_Lance spins around a bit in his chair, grinning from ear to ear. “He’ll never admit it, but he totally grabbed my hand that time. When we were running down the hall after I almost got ejected into space, I mean. He basically dragged me faster than my long, beautiful legs could keep up. I had no idea he could run that fast. I guess he is pretty fit…but not like super fit or anything, just average,” he waves his arms dismissively in the air._

_“The point is, this Halloween on the ship is gonna be awesome. Just you wait, I bet I’ll even manage to freak Allura and Shiro out. That’s basically the successful equivalent of scaring your parents, okay? I’ll be heralded as a god after this goes down.” Lance picks up the helmet, staring directly at the camera with a smoochy face. “Alright, I’m tired and gotta sleep, but let it be known that I’ve been keeping up with these entries. In case Coran or someone gets onto my case. Love ya!” Lance’s pursed lips are the last thing that fills the screen._

* * *

“Can’t sleep, huh?”

Keith barely turns his head when he hears Shiro’s voice from behind, violet eyes blindly searching out one of the ship’s windows. It must be obvious he’s still upset, because the older man doesn’t push him. Instead, Shiro just leans against the opposite wall, staring silently out at space along with him.

After twenty minutes, the quiet starts to feel suffocating. Shiro clears his throat.

“You know, even though fragments of my memories are missing, I still remember the day I was accepted into the Garrison. It’s almost surreal how clearly I can remember it. I was so proud and excited when I showed up with all my bags, ready to dive right into classes.” Shiro chuckled softly. “It actually really sucked. I didn’t know anybody, I was too shy for the introductory activities they wanted us to do. I’m sure even the professors wondered if they’d made a mistake, if my test scores and simulation runs were somehow falsified. Just on the first day, I was off to a really crappy start.”

Keith finds himself shuffling around to face Shiro, watching the other paladin speak. If anything, it’s a welcome distraction from the spiraling tangents in his head.

“I ran off to the library because I was so nervous and didn’t want anybody to talk to me, let alone look at me. And then I ran - literally - into this other freshman. He was almost two feet shorter than me at the time. Poor guy basically got squashed when I landed on him, if you can imagine that. Anyway, it turns out we were both avoiding the crowds. We talked for a while, introduced ourselves and hit it off really well. He was so confident when it came to his research, so easy to talk to. I don’t think I ever saw him get angry or violent towards a single person, no matter what the situation was.” Keith silently watches as Shiro runs a hand through his white hair.

“We ended up becoming best friends. Four years. That’s how long we spent together. It made my experience at the Garrison all the more worthwhile. I met the best mentor I’ve ever had through him. He was the incredible researcher and I was the star pilot. We worked almost perfectly in sync. I guess that’s why we were put on the same mission together.”

 _Kerberos._ Keith’s eyes widen as he slowly pieces it together.

“I’m telling you this because the day before we left, well…he confessed his feelings for me.” Shiro closes his eyes and sucks in a deep breath. “I told him I wasn’t ready, that I needed time to process things. And a week later, we were being hauled through a Galra work camp to be put in a fighting ring.”

Shiro smiles, but the pain and bitterness is plainly there. “The last time I ever saw him was before my first fight, when I attacked him. I’ll never forget the look on his face. Sometimes I find myself wishing I could go back and change the past. I regret so much,” his robotic fist clenches. “But we can’t change what’s been done, we can only go forward. And I’m going to get him back, I’ve promised myself that much.”

His eyes are piercing as he looks Keith straight in the eye. 

“Whatever happened between you two, whatever you think you did wrong. Don’t let it consume you. We’re going to get Lance back, just like we’re going to get Matt back. I’ll always have faith. In us and in them.”

Keith shakily nods, the full impact of Shiro’s words weighing him down. The older paladin reassuringly claps him on the shoulder and heads back down the hallway, leaving Keith alone with the stars.

Matt. He was more similar to Lance than either of them would ever know, wasn’t he? Keith presses his forehead against the cold glass of the window and closes his eyes. All he can picture is that cheeky grin, ocean-blue eyes, soft brunette hair. All he can picture is wide, horrified eyes, stuttered apologies, the sound of footsteps retreating.

His fist smacks solidly against the glass. He was going to get Lance back. That’s all there was to it.

* * *

_Lance sits in his chair, focused on tapping away at the screen of a handheld Altean device. He doesn’t look at the camera as he talks, fingers flying over the keyboard. “Yeah, so somehow I managed to convince Coran that I could be trusted with one of these Altean smartphones. Or the equivalent of a smartphone, I don’t even know what this really is. Anyway, Pidge converted the Altean into English characters for me - I know, Pidge really pulls through sometimes, I love them - and now I can even play games and stuff. Although they’re all educational and boring.” The little machine lets out a beeping noise that sounds urgent and Lance frowns, just shaking it and then putting it aside with a shrug._

_“So I know it’s way too early to be thinking about this, but old habits die hard. In my house, we start planning for Christmas early. Like, summer early. It takes me way too long to get all my shit together to wait until the night before. Plus with limited resources on our ship and six other people who probably won’t be satisfied with just candy, this year is gonna be a little tough. So that’s what I’m doing, planning out a list of stuff to gift everybody based on our current circumstances.” Lance smiles. “Even though we’re in the midst of battles with the Galra empire, it’s nice to know that we can still do normal things sometimes. Maybe I’ll even consider gifting Zarkon a handmade pair of socks that are evil dictator themed._

_“Oh!” Lance suddenly sits straight upright and then leans into the camera with a sly expression, as though conspiring with his unseen audience. “And don’t tell anyone, but speaking of handmade clothing…I already know what I’m going to make Keith. Get this: hand-knit, fingerless gloves. From me.” He spreads his arms out as though challenging somebody to a duel. “Yeah, that’s right, I’m the best. So thoughtful and kind and considerate. And it’s not gonna be easy either. For my abuelita, knitting gloves is a walk in the park, but I’m not on her level.”_

_He rests his chin in his hand, propping his head up with a contemplative expression. “I dunno, it started off as a joke, really. The whole knitting Keith gloves thing. But I was watching him feed the mice at the table the other day and they were eating off of his hand and…well, it was kind of cute- I mean nice?” Lance covers his face with both of his hands, spinning around in his chair with an embarrassingly high pitched squeal._

_“I can’t believe I just said that! I mean, I know we’re rivals and all, but. Look, sometimes when I see cute things I just really want to knit them something, you know? It’s like wanting to squeeze cute fluffy animals…except with knitting. And…Keith, I guess. And if I’m gonna ruin my reputation this much, I might as well say,” Lance leans in again, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Keith actually isn’t cute most of the time. When he gets all neutral and broody, which most people don’t realize is just him zoning out, he’s just kind of, well, hot.”_

_Lance jerks back in his chair, holding his hands up in a defensive position. “I mean that in like, a totally no homo way though. Just one dude evaluating another dude’s looks, I’m allowed to do that, right? Haha…oh dios I’m just going to go now. Actually,” he picks up the helmet, the camera angled up close and personal with his blue-robed stomach, “maybe there’s a way to delete this? I’m gonna try…what does this button do -”_

* * *

Keith finds himself in the lounge at some ungodly hour of the morning (he’d long since lost track of Earth time). His muscles still burn from training. He knows he needs to conserve some of his strength, avoid being so harsh with his body. But he doesn’t know how else to vent his frustration. Training is what he knows best. It’s a simple routine of attack and defend, swing and parry, inhale and exhale. Beyond that, if he wants a fair shot at defeating an entire fleet of Galra ships plus Zarkon, well…he needs practice.

It’s a little surprising when the doors swipe open, admitting a dark, heavyset teen with bags under his eyes. Hunk hasn’t looked well-rested since Lance was taken. He was closest to Lance out of anybody else on the ship, Keith figures. It makes sense that he’d be extremely upset.

Part of him wonders if Hunk knows what happened between him and Lance.

“Fancy seeing you up this late,” Hunk remarks, not unkindly, as he makes his way over to the food station. The other paladin just nods, taking a seat on the couch. Watching Hunk pour himself the equivalent of Altean coffee isn’t exactly fascinating, but it gives Keith something to focus on. Especially when the atmosphere seems so awkward.

Hunk sits next to him on the couch, blowing gently on the steaming green liquid to cool it down. Then he looks over at Keith, mouth opening like he wants to say something. But then he doesn’t, turning back to his drink.

Just a moment later, Keith can feel Hunk’s eyes burning into the side of his face again.

Was he really so hard to talk to? Keith had been told he looked unapproachable by people at the Garrison, and it probably didn’t help he was both sleep deprived and emotionally unstable. But still…Hunk was one of the few people Keith could feel comfortable around. Seeing him hesitate kind of stung. Or, just made him feel more apprehensive about what was coming next.

“I’m not really sure how to ask this without it sounding weird or too personal,” Hunk’s tone is a forced casual. “But what is Lance to you?”

Keith’s eyes widen slightly at the question and he finds himself wishing he also had a drink in his hands. It would help to have something to focus his attention on, other than Hunk’s concerned face.

“Honestly, I don’t know,” he runs a hand through his hair, tugging at the dark strands. “I just…I don’t know. Everything I thought I knew has kind of been pulled out from under me. And now he’s gone and I can’t _think._ ”

They’re both silent on the couch together until Hunk sighs, swirling the pseudo-coffee around in his cup. “I know it’s probably not my place to go into this. But…Lance and I have known each other for a really long time. We used to live on the same block as kids, before we went to the Garrison together. You should’ve seen him as a little kid, you wouldn’t even believe it was the same guy,” Hunk paused for a moment, a small smile growing on his face. “He was so short and shy and _such_ a mama’s boy. He was always playing with toy airplanes and hero figurines, running around in the backyard shouting. It was the only time he let himself be loud.”

That was news to Keith, surprisingly enough. He’d always pictured Lance as being a loud devil of a child, the kind that would climb all over you and scream at nothing. But a timid Lance, one that shied away from other people?

He could remember his own collection of model planes and rockets. They were a treat for rainy days, a form of solace where there seemed to be none. It was always comforting to think of leaving Earth behind, finding something more amongst the stars instead. No matter how lonely he was, those cheap plastic toys had always meant something to him.

Maybe it had been a similar feeling for Lance.

“He really wanted to be a pilot. That’s why we both ended up going to the Garrison, actually. Flying was his dream, and it still is. That first year at school, I know he really looked up to you. You were his hero, in a way.” Hunk turns to look Keith directly in the eye. “I know you don’t owe him anything. But under the facade he puts up, he’s actually one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. You don’t need to reciprocate any of his feelings, but…I just need to know that no matter what happens, you’ll treat him right.”

Keith can feel his eyes widen in shock at the intensity in Hunk’s gaze. The other paladin is dead serious.

“I promise,” Keith can’t seem to bring his voice above more than a solemn whisper, unable to look away. But in his gut is an uneasy feeling. He feels like he’s already broken that promise.

He can’t get rid of that unsettled discomfort even as Hunk claps him on the shoulder.

 

An hour later, Hunk has already retreated to his bedroom. But it’s seemingly impossible for Keith to follow suit. His brain is running at a million miles an hour, and he finds himself wandering down a familiar hallway. He’s been down here a couple of times now, ever since Lance was taken.

The hangar would have seemed eerily dark to anybody else, but to Keith, it’s actually a welcome sight. Lying down in the center - unlike its usual sitting pose - is the blue lion. Keith can tell that Blue misses its pilot, resonating a quiet sort of sadness. He quietly approaches the resting lion, taking a seat next to its paw. When he hears the low growling in his head, he isn’t surprised.

Blue is hurting. Whatever connection the paladins have, it’s developed to a point where they can collectively feel certain cues from the lions. Outside of his own aching, he can feel a restlessness that isn’t his own, a deep-seated worry. “I know,” he says out loud, leaning against the cold, unmoving paw. “I hate feeling like this. It’s like there’s a heavy weight on my chest all the time,” he presses a hand against the red fabric of his jacket.

“The worst part is, he couldn't focus on that mission. He was upset, distracted, and he was just looking out for me when he got captured. I tried to go after him, but…it was too late. I should’ve gone after him sooner - not even during that mission - but before. I froze up, I let him think that he’d done something wrong. In reality, I just didn’t know how to react.” He looks down at the ground, willing the lump in his throat to settle.

“Hunk asked what Lance is to me,” Keith murmurs quietly, his hand clenching into a fist. “And I’m still not entirely sure. I haven’t been sure for a while, but…I think I’m starting to figure it out.” Blue hums quietly in his head, a knowing growl.

“I’m going to get your pilot back. I don’t care what it takes.”

* * *

_When Lance appears, there’s a lopsided Santa hat perched on his head. He’s also wearing a wide grin, dimples on full display. “I’m proud to announce that Voltron Christmas was a huge success! Everybody liked the gifts I gave them, of course.”_

_He leans over to shuffle around out of sight, reemerging with an armful of items. “Look, I got gifts from everybody too. Some of them are better than others, but…it was really cool we all got to exchange stuff. Look, Hunk made me the equivalent of alien chocolate,” Lance holds up a bag of what looks like lumpy, greenish rocks. He sniffs it and makes a face, putting the bag down. “All I know is, it tastes a lot better than it smells, alright?”_

_Reaching for the next gift, Lance produces a blinking flash drive. “This was from Pidge. It plugs into the handheld Altean iPad thing I’ve been using, but this time they’re actually fun games. Some of them are really cool, I know I’ll end up wasting a ton of time trying to beat them all.” He sets aside the small piece of technology to swap it out for a badly painted badge._

_“And this is Shiro’s gift, honestly I almost died laughing when he gave it to me. Turns out he’s both bad at arts and crafts and thinking of good gift ideas, but I love it. Look, it says number one space cop on it,” Lance holds it up to the camera, making the focus go blurry before he pulls it away. “I think he’s still having nightmares about me making those siren sounds, but that’s alright. At least he tried, you know?”_

_Lance slides the badge out of view. “Coran gave me this weird Altean book full of exercises or something,” he turns a shiny novel-sized object over in his hands, studying it with a frown, “but obviously I can’t read any of it. Also, don’t tell all my fans, but I’m not super into fitness either. I have no idea how Allura and Shiro do it, honestly. Did I already mention that I caught them working out together at like five in the morning? Okay, maybe I shouldn’t use the word catch, since they were pretty open about it, but who even lifts weights that early? It’s insane.”_

_The sparkly Altean book joins the rest of the gifts back on the desk. Lance absentmindedly plays with the cover as he continues to speak. “Allura gave me a really awesome gift. It wasn’t an actual thing, though. We recently replaced the crystal in the room that used to hold her dad, which sounds weird to say, but also kind of sad…anyway. Apparently it can run super realistic simulations and she let me use it. I spent an entire hour just standing on what really felt like Varadero Beach. I could feel the sand under my toes, smell the salt in the air, and the waves sounded so real. I could’ve stood there all day with my eyes closed,” Lance sighs, pulling his hand away from the book. “I’m really happy I got to experience that. But knowing it’s not real kind of sucks too. I was just waiting for one of my siblings to shout my name, or my grandma to call me back into the house, but…I guess that won’t happen for a while, will it?”_

_Lance squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, taking a deep breath. “I’m trying not to let bad feelings get to me. And, speaking of that,” his blue eyes snap open, hands reaching for the last object in front of him. “Look at this,” he holds it up to the camera. A small object hangs from the string between Lance’s fingers. It's a gear, only two inches across, the jagged edges slightly worn and tarnished in areas._

_“Turns about, before Keith left, he took this from his bike. You know, that flashy flying one that he used to show off with all the time? Alright, so maybe it was kinda cool, but anyway...he said it reminded him of home sometimes. Said it made him feel better when things got rough. Of course, he said it all in his typical Keith way. But it was…well, it was kind of sweet. He didn’t really say much about why, but I think it’s because I let it slip that I have bad dreams a lot. I just miss home, ya know?” Lance sighs, gently closing his hand over the gear._

_“I actually think this little thing might work. And even if it doesn’t, now I can say I got a cute gift from the feared pilot Keith Kogane. A very own piece of his famous flying motorbike. Maybe someday I can even sell it for a million dollars after we're all famous. Just kidding - Keith would probably kill me. And besides, it's not like I'd ever actually want to do that. It means a lot."_

_Lance laughs, the sound a little nervous. He raises the charm to his chest in an almost unconscious action. “It's crazy, I know. Feeling this way about another dude, especially one who’s supposed to be my rival. But I can’t make my stupid heart stop doing that thing sometimes and I hate it. What am I supposed to do about it? He probably doesn’t even really like me that much. Or, he wouldn’t unless we were forced to be on the same ship all the time.” He runs a hand through his hair, suddenly looking much more tired._

_“Creo que estoy enamorado.”_

_His eyes are tinted with a strange sadness as he reaches out to the camera._

_The screen goes black._

* * *

 

Pidge lets out a triumphant hum, their glasses reflecting the light from the computer they’re hunched over. Keith feels relief shoot through him, knowing it’s a good sign. The data he managed to retrieve was salvageable after all. The hopelessness of having to abort the mission has been fresh on his mind for the past couple of days.

“I don’t know if they’re still holding him in the same place, but these should be the coordinates of the last Galra ship that had him. We’ll have to move fast if we want to rescue him,” Pidge points at the numbers on the screen, the rest of the team leaning in.

Hunk is the first to speak, taking a step back from the screen. “Let’s go then. We can’t afford to sit around any longer, we’ve waited enough.”

“There is no doubt we are going to rescue him, but this is definitely a trap,” Allura frowns as she looks over Pidge’s shoulder, studying the unblinking numbers on the screen.

A moment later, Keith steps backward to stand next to Hunk, helmet clutched between his hands. The yellow paladin looks over at him, eyes wide. “We’re not going to leave Lance behind,” Keith’s statement sounds more like a challenge, although it’s not quite directed at Allura.

Hunk’s expression morphs into something more resolute, and he nods firmly at Keith. Seconds later, Pidge falls into place beside them. “It doesn’t matter if Lance is part of Voltron or not. He’s a a good friend, a good person, and I know he’d do the same for us.”

A small smile growing on his face, Shiro walks over to the three other paladins, turning to face the two Alteans who are still standing by the computer. “I’m in. We’re definitely going to get him back.”

Coran puts a hand on Allura’s shoulder, his face somber. “Princess, I have to say, I agree with the paladins on this one. It would be riskier to leave Lance in Galra hands than to try and rescue him. And besides, we were really starting to get along. He is actually quite a nice boy,” Coran’s eyes even start watering a little.

Allura sighs, turning to look at the four paladins. They’re all equally determined to see this mission through.

“Then it is done. Paladins, prepare to leave for the coordinates in one human hour. In the meantime, we need to think of a strategy to get Lance out, especially if this turns out to be an ambush.” The princess takes it as seriously as the rest of them as she turns back to the computer display.

Keith can practically feel the blood in his veins humming with impatience. He needs Lance to be alright, to be back on board the castle with his usual attitude and stupid remarks. He needs Lance to be alright so that he can tell him the truth.

It’s hard, Keith thinks. Since when did feelings become so damn difficult? 

* * *

_“So, I fucked up.”_

_Lance’s eyes are rimmed with red, his voice hoarse. His hair is far more disheveled than usual. He anxiously wrings his hands as he speaks in a low tone, as though someone might overhear him._

_“I’m a huge idiot. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I was dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb.” Lance’s fingers tug through his hair, only making its messy condition worse. “And I don’t know who to talk to about it, I can’t even tell Hunk because it’s so embarrassing and awful and stupid and-” he pauses, inhaling shakily. His hands cover the upper half of his face as he continues._

_“I know I’m probably just overreacting, but that just makes me even more of an idiot. And it’s funny, because at the time it seemed like the right thing to do. You see all those moments in movies where a guy and a girl are sitting together or on a date and they just lean together and kiss and then everything is great. I don’t know why I thought it would have been okay in real life. Obviously we’re two guys and obviously I’d never make a good boyfriend - partner - kiss buddy - just…anything.” Lance’s shoulders almost imperceptibly shake._

_“He didn’t even say a word. He didn’t have to. He had this genuinely horrified expression. His eyes said it all. That look was way too real to be a joke or a fake rival type of thing - God, I was so stupid. I’ve never felt so dumb in my entire life, all I could do was sprint back to my room like a scared little kid.” Lance laughs, the sound bitter. “Ever since we’ve been a part of the Voltron team together, some part of me was hoping I could impress him. Show him that I was more than just the cargo pilot, that I was his equal too. And then somewhere along the way I developed a huge gay crush and got it into my head that maybe he liked me, as even more than a friend.”_

_Lance furiously wipes at his eyes with his jacket sleeve._

_“If he tells everybody else that Lance McClain is perverted and gay or whatever, I can’t blame him. If some guy I didn’t even like tried to plant a huge kiss on me back at the Garrison, I probably would’ve punched him on the spot,” Lance swipes again at the wet trails crawling down his cheeks._

_“I wish I could go back in time. Make it all just go away._

_“And the worst part is, I still feel the same way. I guess I just can’t learn my lesson.”_

_Lance’s teeth dig into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood as he turns the camera off._

* * *

There’s no such thing as pushing Red too hard in Keith’s book. He’s rough with the controls, more so than usual, but his lion can take it. Especially when the stakes are this high. It’s not as bad as the last time they dove straight into Galra headquarters to save Allura. The number of warships is far less, and it doesn’t seem to be a trap.

Yet.

Keith has long since been locked onto the ship that the Galra are apparently holding Lance in, although there are enough enemies firing back to make it difficult to approach. It only takes a few swift punches to the controls for him to wipe out an entire line of ships, razor focused on the target. He has to make it onto that ship as fast as possible. And his lion _is_ the fastest, so it only makes sense that he’d be the one to do it.

“All of you stay sharp, something could take us by surprise at any moment,” Shiro’s voice is calm over the comms. The rest of the paladins don’t need to respond, they’re all prepared for the worst already. “Keith, as soon as you have an opening, take it. The rest of us will cover you.”

“Got it,” Keith responds, jaw clenched. His usual confidence is on the brink of being overridden by the idea of something going wrong, of losing Lance a second time.

A fierce growl suddenly seems to rattle the entire lion. Red. The noise is infused with a mixture of exasperation and reassurance. _We can do this,_ Keith reaffirms his grasp on the controls. He and Red are intertwined with the same determination, and it doesn’t matter if it’s his own.

A gap in the Galra formation appears, likely to seal itself shut in an instant, but it’s enough time for Keith to surge forward. He can hear the sounds of the other paladins’ fire around him, covering him as he breaks through the fleet. He pushes Red to its max acceleration, fearlessly rocketing towards the one Galra ship he has to breach.

“Keith, the sensors are registering Lance’s presence on the south side of the front hull. Make sure you keep all damage to that part of the ship minimal,” Allura’s voice instructs through his comm. Keith just nods, teeth gritted as he spirals around the ship. “Breach the Galra ship using the lion’s head, it’s how I got Allura out last time and it worked,” Hunk yells into his comm. The yellow paladin has a surprising amount of good advice, sometimes. 

Honing in on the very end of the ship, he neatly blasts the metal casing open with just a few shots. He gets Red as far as the lion will fit into the Galra ship before activating the emergency exit. It’s fastest to leave through Red’s mouth, and he hits the ground sprinting. He has an extremely limited amount of time to find Lance and then extract him. The longer he leaves Red on its own, the riskier the mission gets.

Coran manages to guide him through most of the ship, reciting directions into Keith’s ear as he runs. It’s frustrating having to slow down and take care of the Galra soldiers that periodically spot him. His hours of training are put to good use disarming the sentries as fast as he can.

Turn left, right, just completely hack through the flimsy, locked door on the left, turn down the nearest hallway. Unlike his usual training exercises with Lance, he’s able to follow Coran’s instructions at a breakneck pace. He’s relying almost purely on instinct. Any surprises - a straggling Galra soldier suddenly lashing out at him - are quickly and efficiently dealt with.

“He’s close, the prisoners are held in the cells just up ahead,” Coran announces. “But Keith, be careful. Something doesn’t feel right about this, it’s too easy. Lance is the blue paladin, he’s an extremely valuable asset to Zarkon. It was unlikely that he’d be guarded by so few soldiers. Just keep an eye out for an ambush.”

Keith skids to a halt as he reaches what looks like a row of cells. A squadron of guards spots him from the other end of the hallway. They immediately start shouting, sprinting down the hall and firing their guns. Keith dodges the laser pulses easily enough, sword at the ready as he starts slashing at the first ones to reach him. He manages to take them all out with only a couple of scrapes, barely panting as he studies the line of closed cell doors.

“Coran, which one is he in?” Keith speaks into his comm, reaching out to place a hand on one of the sensors to the nearest door. Unexpectedly, it activates, the cell door sliding open. The cell is empty.

“Hold on, I’m running a secondary scan to try and pinpoint Lance’s location,” Coran responds. Keith doesn’t bother standing still and waiting, running to the next cell and doing the same activation process. The door slides open. The cell is empty.

An uneasy feeling starts to tug at him.

He tries the next cell. Empty.

Next cell.

Empty.

“Hey, are all of these cells supposed to empty? Are they only keeping Lance on board this ship?” Keith questions into his comm. He takes a step back, trying to make the process easier by just screaming, _“Lance!”_ Unsurprisingly, there’s no response.

He resumes activating each cell door, getting closer and closer to the end of the hallway. None of the ones he checks show any sign of having held life. It’s a relief when Coran’s voice crackles back to life. “He’s in the second to last cell on the right, but this is a bad sign. That ship is meant to hold prisoners, something is very wrong here. I don’t want to stress you out any further, but it’s imperative you get out of there.”

Keith can’t help but snort a little under his breath. “Yeah, not stressed at all,” he mutters, heart pounding as he reaches the second to last cell. He slams his palm on the activation panel, impatiently waiting for it to process. He almost expects it not to open - wouldn’t that just be the icing on the cake - but then it lights up green and the door slides upwards.

A motionless figure lays slumped on the very far wall, their armor distinctly blue. Keith immediately sprints inside, numb with shock as he gathers a very real Lance in his arms. “Please stay with me, please,” Keith chants to himself as he checks Lance’s vitals. His pulse is faint and he’s breathing slowly, but he’s alive. He doesn’t look too badly wounded, displaying only a few scabbed over gashes. But they probably weren’t feeding him daily meals in the time he was held in the cell, and it’s obvious he’s weak.

Trying to not to make any damage worse, Keith gives Lance’s face a few urgent pats. “Lance, can you hear me? I need you to wake up, come on, I know you’re there.”

Lance’s eyelashes flutter a bit and he groans, the sound raspy. It seems to take him a moment to register that Keith’s leaning over him, and then his blue eyes widen in shock. “Ke…ith,” he whispers, reaching up to touch the arm Keith’s keeping him upright with. Keith feels his face break into a small smile, relieved that Lance is okay. “Come on, we have to go, I’m here to save you. You’re gonna owe me again,” he tries to joke, slowly lifting the blue paladin to his feet. 

“You shouldn’t be here,” Lance wobbles dangerously and leans his weight onto Keith.

“It’s okay, we’re going to make it out of here fine, just stay awake.” Keith pulls one of Lance’s arms over his shoulders, grabs Lance’s waist with the other hand to keep him upright. Getting out would be a slow process, but they still had time.

Lance coughs, still sounding a bit dazed. “No, I heard…one of the guards, they said…something bad happening,” the words are a struggle to get out.

Before Keith has a chance to respond, an explosion suddenly rocks the ship. Both he and Lance freeze in surprise as purple smoke suddenly fills the hallway ahead. “Guys, what’s going on out there?” Keith shouts into his comm, defensively pulling out his bayard.

“What do you mean? We’re still covering you, but you need to hurry up! They’re sending reinforcements!” Pidge shouts back into his ear. A feeling of dread settles into Keith’s stomach as he realizes the others don’t know what’s going on. “Coran? Are you there?” He asks again into his comm even as he starts dragging Lance back the other direction. There’s no response, only empty static.

“We’re…too slow,” Lance rasps, trying his best to walk on his own.

A sudden bout of deep laughter echoes up and down the hallway. Keith curses under his breath, putting Lance down against the wall and taking a defensive stance in front of him. He has no clue what’s happening, or what’s going to emerge from the purple smoke that’s steadily growing down the hallway, but he’s going to have to fight if he wants to get Lance out alive. They can’t outrun it, not when Lance can’t walk on his own.

A figure strides out of the smoke, glowing and flickering in and out of existence. It wears a long Druid cape, their hood pulled over their face. Keith tightens his grip on his sword, studying the strange lines that run down their face. Whoever it is, they seem to be a hologram of some sort. It makes no sense, not to Keith.

“Zarkon is pleased to see you came for your worthless companion,” the hooded figure sounds relatively female, and definitely all sorts menacing. “Stay back,” Keith growls at her, raising his sword threateningly.

She doesn’t advance any further, merely stands her own ground and gestures with clawed hands. “Do not worry, we are not going to hurt you. Today, I merely come with a proposal,” she raises her head enough for Keith to catch a glimpse of a carnivorous smile, a shock of white hair.

“Keith, we need to go,” Lance whispers from behind. Keith can’t bring himself to move.

“You are much more than the others, _Keith Kogane._ Or at least, that is what your human companions call you, is it not?” Her grin only widens as Keith furrows his brow in confusion. “What are you talking about? What do you want?” He shouts back in response.

The hooded woman laughs. “It is pitiful how little you know about your own people. About who you really are. We can show you the truth.” Now she starts to step forward, her figure still flickering in and out. She seems unafraid even as Keith brandishes the sharp edge of his sword at her neck. “Now, now, we both know I am merely a projection. Even so, I am offering you more power than you will ever know. And, young paladin,” she leans forward, neck going straight through his sword unharmed, her terrible yellow eyes looking straight into Keith’s violet. “I can show you your family.”

Lance makes a small whimpering sound as Keith flinches backwards. The red paladin’s heart feels like it’s gone completely still in his chest, his veins pulsing with icy fire. How could she know anything about his background, anything about his family? How could she know that he’d never known his true parentage? So many questions were running through his mind, but somehow he knew that those venomous eyes weren’t lying.

“What do you know about my family?” He can’t seem to raise his voice above a whisper.

The Druid woman throws her head back and laughs. Even though she’s merely a projection, Keith can smell the air around him turn rancid.

“I know everything about your past. Your present. Your future. I will share all of it, show you everything, if you join us. We are not evil. We stand for our own justice. And you belong on our side, not with these other humans and _Alteans.”_ She spits the last word out like it’s a disease.

“He’s not going to go anywhere with you! You’re sick, manipulating people like that!” Keith turns in surprise as Lance unexpectedly shouts from his position on the ground. “It doesn’t matter what Keith is! _We’re_ his family now, he doesn’t need you!” Even though the words sound more like pained wheezing, immediately breaking down into loud coughs after, it’s enough to make up Keith’s mind. 

He turns back to the Druid woman, resolve written on his face. “I’m not interested in any of your schemes. The paladins are going to defeat the Galra Empire, tell Zarkon that.”

She snarls, eyes flashing dangerously. “You are making a big mistake, you little fool. You will regret it once you get torn apart by your own companions. Zarkon bids you a farewell.” Without warning, she lunges forward in a blur, hand outstretched. Keith feels a sudden pain tear through his body as she passes straight through him, falling to his knees with a shocked gasp.

And then she’s gone, and the smoke starts to clear. He can hear Lance asking if he’s alright through the ringing in his ears. “I’m fine, I’m fine, we need to go,” he forces the words out, shaking off the lingering ache. He pulls Lance up again, both of them making their way back towards the other end of the ship.

“Finally, the signal returned!” Coran’s voice returns in a burst of static. “Keith, are you alright? What in the quiznak happened in there, there was suddenly a blast of quintessence from that part of the ship. Did you rescue Lance? You must hurry, the Galra forces are receiving backup and we cannot hold out for long!”

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later. I have Lance, he seems to be okay but he needs a med-pod.” Keith curtly explains, tugging Lance back through a familiar route. His lion is just up ahead, waiting to take them back to the others. Lance pants heavily, and Keith can tell he’s not going to stay conscious for much longer.

As soon as the red lion comes into view, the brunette’s knees buckle. Keith barely catches him in time. “Keith, I’m so sorry. About everything, about…before,” Lance whispers, eyes unfocused.

“Don’t apologize, Lance. You have nothing to be sorry for,” Keith tells him, brushing Lance’s sweaty bangs back from his forehead.

Lance looks like he’s about to say something important, but all that comes out is a quiet “gay,” before he abruptly passes out.

Keith would’ve rolled his eyes in any other circumstance, but instead he slides his arms under Lance’s knees and back, lifting him. The blue paladin was the definition of lanky and skinny, but he still managed to weigh a surprising amount. Keith was able to carry him the short distance, feeling Red’s purr in his head as he stepped back into his lion’s jaws.

“I’ve got him,” he says to the other paladins, gently lying Lance down next to the pilot’s chair and grabbing ahold of the controls again.

There’s a collective cheer, although the other paladins seem a fair amount of winded. It’s impressive enough that they were able to hold out for this long.

“Great job, Keith. Now let’s get the hell out of here,” Shiro says.

Keith quickly glances back at the still figure lying next to him. Lance looks tired and more ragged than usual, but he’s safe. Safe, and back where he belongs. Keith feels a wide smile spread across his face before he turns back around, punching the accelerator.

Time to go home.

* * *

 

He knows the others have passed by him with concern more than a few times, but he can’t bring himself to move. It helps, he thinks. Watching over Lance. Waiting for the med-pod to finish its work. It’s strange that looking at Lance’s sleeping face calms him, but oddly enough, it does. He’s been sitting on the ground in front of it for hours now, cross-legged as though he were meditating.

There are a lot of things to think about.

The biggest priority at the moment is the fact that the mission was a set-up. Haggar (the Druid woman’s name, Keith learned) had said some disturbing things. Talking as though Keith was somehow different than his fellow team members, as though she knew more about his past than anybody else. It was a lot to take in, and more than Keith knew what to do with. They’d known that it was likely a trap from the start, but the fact that it was all staged around targeting Keith? That was entirely unexpected. When Keith had told the others what had happened aboard that Galra ship, they had all been taken aback too.

“Zarkon sent Haggar to ask you to _join_ him?” Allura had looked stunned, Coran wearing a matching expression. Keith got the feeling that they would’ve asked more questions if it weren’t for Shiro pointing out that they all needed some rest. He’d put a hand on Keith’s shoulder, assuring him that everything would be alright.

Keith really hoped so. He wanted to pretend like he hadn’t been tempted for the briefest of moments when Haggar had mentioned his parents. He wanted to say with a hundred percent confidence he never would have taken any deal Zarkon had offered him. But there was still a part of him that longed to at least see his parents’ faces again, to know who they really were. Whenever he tried to picture their faces, they were long since lost to the passage of time.

But the wellbeing of the universe, of other people who still had their families, outweighed one boy’s dream. And Keith would never stop fighting for the right thing, no matter what.

The second matter at hand was Lance. Keith couldn’t just pretend like there wasn’t something more between them. His mind kept revisiting that one moment in the ship’s lounge. He couldn’t remember a time he had laughed that hard. They’d been having fun, knees brushing on the couch, Keith watching as Lance animatedly gestured as he spoke. He hadn’t expected to get along so well with Lance. He hadn’t expected to gravitate towards the other paladin, drawn in by that radiant smile. And he definitely hadn’t expected for Lance to lean in, softly cupping Keith’s cheek and pressing their lips together.

Keith had lived alone for most of his life. He’d seen the connections other people made with each other, but he’d never understood them. Even with Shiro, there had always been that expected divide. Everybody seemed to have their people and Keith had himself. And that was okay. For a while.

Then Voltron happened. Suddenly he’d had a team. A team that rapidly turned into family. They’d fought together, laughed together, cried together, lived together. It all added up to the closest friendships - maybe the only real friendships at all - that Keith had ever experienced.

But there was a little spark of something more that Keith had always felt when Lance was around. He hadn’t quite known what it was, keeping his distance from it even as it started to slowly kindle. And when Lance had leaned in, their lips colliding, that gradual warmth exploded into a full-fledged fire.

Keith hadn’t known what to do. Very few things could make him completely shut down, but in that moment, the kiss had left him speechless. He’d just frozen in shock, aware of the hundred conflicting questions and emotions running through his head.

Lance had taken it badly. Keith knew that he should’ve said something, gone after Lance when the other boy turned on his heel and fled. But Keith hadn’t. The next couple of days had been painfully awkward, Keith too overwhelmed to know what to say to Lance, or what to do. And then the mission had gone wrong at the worst time, Lance had been captured, and the rest was history.

Now Keith sits in front of Lance’s med-pod. He can already see a significant improvement in Lance’s health, the gashes faded to little scratches. His eyes trace down the other teen’s cheekbones, across dark lashes, taking in the distinct slope of his nose, the curve of his lips. His chest tightens.

“How’s it going over here? He looks like he’s doing better,” Keith turns as Hunk approaches the med-pod. The yellow paladin crosses his arms over his chest as he first studies Lance, then turns to look down at Keith.

“Thanks for getting him out of there, Keith.” Hunk extends a fist downwards.

“Thanks for having my back,” Keith smiles, bumping Hunk’s knuckles with his own.

Hunk takes a seat on the ground next to Keith, humming a soft, unfamiliar tune. Then he clears his throat and gestures at the med-pod. “So, uh…have you figured out anything?” Seeing Keith’s look of confusion, he continues, “I mean, about those feelings. Regarding, you know, the guy currently passed out in front of us.”

Eyes slightly widening before crinkling into a smile, Keith can’t help but let a little laugh escape. “Yeah, I guess I have, actually.”

They both sit in a comfortable silence until Hunk speaks up again. “So, does that mean I should be cautious before entering rooms with just the two of you? Or are you guys gonna start macking on each other at random times?”

Keith raises an eyebrow. “Huh? _Macking_ on each other? What does that mean?”

Hunk gasps dramatically. “I can’t believe this. I literally cannot believe this, sometimes I forget you lived in that shack out in the desert. C’mon man, you must’ve heard that term somewhere. Like in a movie at the very least.”

“Uh, I didn’t really watch many movies at my place,” Keith tries to think back on what he has watched, but the movie list was limited. He’d re-watched the same three DVDs until the disc player had just broken entirely. After that, he’d just given up on movies altogether. The radio was enough entertainment anyway, Keith had always tuned in for this one space-themed talk show that had been pretty cool.

“Dude, you’re totally missing out. We’re definitely going to have a paladin movie night soon, so you’ll get educated on this kind of stuff. But seriously man, you gotta know what macking on somebody means,” Hunk snorts, “just wait until Lance hears about this.”

“What do I need to hear about?”

Both Keith and Hunk turn in surprise as Lance takes a slow step out of the med-pod, slightly unsteady, but wearing a large grin. Hunk reaches him first, gathering his friend up in a tight hug.

 “You’re back, man I was worried,” Hunk squeezes him and Lance lets out an exaggerated groan. “You’re gonna crush me to death and then I’ll have to get stuck back in that stupid pod,” the brunette laughs as Hunk releases him.

For some reason, Keith feels a little nervous as Lance’s blue eyes slide over to him. He takes a few steps forward, unsure if he should try and hug Lance the same way Hunk did. Probably not, Keith isn’t exactly the best hugger.

Lance takes a little step forward too, running a hand through his hair. They’re only a foot away from each other, but it feels like there’s an invisible, awkward barrier between them.

“So,” Keith says, just as Lance blurts out, “How’s it going?”

They both stare at each other with wide eyes before Lance starts laughing, eyes crinkling into a genuine smile. Keith starts giggling a little too despite himself, reaching out to steady Lance as the other teen wobbles a bit.

“I think I might’ve accidentally pulled something in my side,” the blue paladin winces a little as he rubs at his ribs, Keith keeping a gloved hand on his elbow. They both look up at each other. Keith suddenly realizes how close he is to Lance, his eyes catching every small detail. Like the flecks of deep blue in Lance’s eyes, or the tiny, occasional freckle on his dark cheekbones.

“Keith, I -” Lance only gets two words in before Keith slowly leans forward. Lance doesn’t move, only inhales in surprise as Keith gently presses their foreheads together.

They stay like that for a good thirty seconds. Keith closes his eyes and focuses on how warm Lance is, listening to the other paladin breathe in and out. When he finally sighs and pulls back, Lance’s eyes languidly open. His expression unusually calm.

He’s beautiful, Keith thinks. 

“I am quite handsome, aren’t I?” Lance smirks, his tone teasing. For a suspenseful moment, Keith thinks Lance somehow accrued mind reading powers. Then he realizes the other paladin is just being his usual, cheeky self.

“You’re not awful,” Keith responds, and then leans in one more time.

Their lips messily collide. It’s actually harder to angle his face just right than he imagined, and far less glamorous. Their noses bump together as he awkwardly pulls away, a little embarrassed, a little nervous. His heart is beating out of his chest and his palms are sweating as though he’s in the heat of battle. He half-expects Lance to take advantage of how ridiculous it is and laugh, but he doesn’t.

Instead, Lance grabs either side of his face and pulls him in for a second kiss. This time, it’s a lot smoother. Lance’s lips are a little chapped, but soft nonetheless, and Keith drops his hands to Lance’s waist. Just as Lance’s tongue swipes at Keith’s lower lip, somebody clears their throat loudly from behind.

They both break apart and spin around. Hunk stands there awkwardly, hands raised. “Uh, guys, I’m still here? I mean, it started off pretty sweet and all, but then you guys started doing the whole smoochy thing and I wasn’t sure if I should just go? I mean, if I just snuck out it might’ve been a little weird, so…” Hunk trails off as both Keith and Lance simultaneously glare.

“You guys are right, I’ll just leave you two to it then. Stop ruining the romantic moment and all,” Hunk lets out a short laugh before hurrying towards the door. Before he steps through, he turns and offers a thumbs up to Keith. “By the way, I’m glad you figured out what macking on Lance means, buddy.”

Keith blinks a couple of times as the yellow paladin vanishes down the hallway, then turns back to Lance. The other teen has an increasingly devious smile growing on his face. “So that’s what Hunk wanted to tell me, isn’t it?”

“Don’t make me put you back into the med-pod,” Keith warns, but they both know it’s an empty threat. He looks down in surprise as Lance’s hand brushes his, an unspoken question.

Lance bites his lip, unusually hesitant. “Is this alright? I mean…is this something that you want?” 

Keith slides his hand into Lance’s, entwining their fingers. He’s thankful for his gloves in moments like these, when the burning in his hands gives away how flustered he actually feels.

“This is alright.” He gives Lance’s hand a small squeeze. “I want this. I want you.”

Lance makes a strangled sound, his cheeks darkening with red. Keith realizes how cheesy the words sounded and feels his own cheeks follow suit. But it’s the truth, and he’s tired of trying to hide how he feels. The weight on his chest finally feels like it’s lifted.

* * *

" _What’s up, my trusty helmet? I know I’ve been gone for a while, but I think I have a valid enough excuse.”_

_Lance flashes a set of finger guns that are enough to inspire secondhand embarrassment in any audience. Thankfully, he hasn’t discovered the alien equivalent of YouTube yet._

_“Anyway, point is, I’m back and I’ve never been better. A whole crap ton of stuff has gone down since my last video entry on this thing, so I’ll just fill you in on the basic details.” He holds up a hand, raising his index finger with a wide grin._

_“One: I have a boyfriend now. He’s a little bit shy, a little bit grumpy, and a lot dorky, but I think I can forgive all of that. The only thing I’ll never be able to forgive is that hair. Although let’s face it, I don’t think I could stand it if he ever actually cut it off.” Lance sighs softly, looking past the camera with an almost wistful expression. “I really, really like him, ya know? I’ve even been thinking of introducing him to the family once we go back to Earth. Sometimes I wonder about what my family would think about me dating a boy, but…somehow I know they’d be happy for me.”_

_Lance raises a second finger. “Two: said boyfriend may or may not actually be human. Which, yeah, was a complete shock, but also not really after that freaky Haggar incident. Allura and Coran stuck Keith into the med-pod the other day and ran some scans. They’re still trying to figure out the exact results but…well, apparently I could be dating an alien. So that’s cool, I guess.” He hums contemplatively, “maybe I just naturally attract all the hot aliens, that would make a lot of sense.”_

_He raises a third finger. “Third: the entire team is doing really great. During training, we’re all syncing up really well. We get along most of the time, even if there are some occasional squabbles. And we’re starting the tradition of movie nights, since certain people aboard the ship haven’t seen all the classics yet.” Lance’s face softens in a genuine smile._

_“Honestly, I love these people. They’re really becoming family and I’d put my life on the line for any of them in a heartbeat. It’s almost surreal, looking back on those really lonely Garrison days and comparing it to now. Past me never would have guessed future me would be sitting here, talking by myself to a blue paladin’s helmet aboard a freakin’ castle-ship. But here I am, and I gotta say, being a defender of the universe is pretty damn sweet. So…I really owe you guys - Keith, Hunk, Pidge, Shiro, Allura, Coran - all the gratitude from the bottom of my heart. And I know none of you will ever watch this, or at least shouldn’t, but you guys have made me one of the happiest people drifting through space. So, thanks. Ustedes son mi corazón.”_

_Lance picks up the helmet, drawing the camera nearer to him._

_“Anyway, I gotta blast. I have a training date with a certain mullet-haired alien and I can’t be late.” He blows a loud kiss to his helmet._

_“Lance out.”_


End file.
